Resident Ed Pentaleri has set up a new website for the town, free of charge. He completed an initial version, with some suggestions from the Selectmen, and it will go live within a week. It is spectacular, and we encourage you to be on the lookout for it. The domain name will be the same: www.alna.maine.gov. Announcements (such as upcoming meetings, etc.) will be under the “events” page while Selectmen meeting agendas and notes will be under “news”. Other events will be added over time.

Selectmen Baston asked Ed if he would be interested in being the site’s webmaster, with the understanding that he would get some compensation, but he declined and rather offered instead to train the office staff and the Selectmen. The cost of the website itself ($18 per month) will come out of the Administrative Account.

Town Office

Selectman Baston relayed that he had a conversation with the architects at Lewis + Malm. He told them that we appreciated their work, but that the options presented were outside our budget expectations and we would need to look at other alternatives. Lewis + Malm said that they would like to continue to advise us as we move forward, as they now have developed a sense of the town and its needs.

The Selectmen agreed that we will need some professional advice moving forward. We will pick this subject up again after Town Meeting, as we clearly must do something.

New Business:

Upcoming Town Meeting

Selectmen decided to go over anticipated questions for the town meeting this Saturday. For anything pertaining to the fireworks ordinance, Beth Whitney will be in attendance, as will Sean Day.

The Selectmen reported that the Midcoast Conservancy sent a targeted email to their Alna member that is a little misleading. The language could lead citizens to believe that they are approving actual dam modifications and other elements of a dam agreement at town meeting. Actually, the article just gives the Selectmen the authority to negotiate on the Town’s behalf around these elements. For example, the Selectmen want to add to any agreement that: (1) the ASF will not propose more modifications in the future unless the Town gives preliminary agreement (unless required by future laws or regulations beyond the control of the signatories), and (2) ASF will cover any town any legal costs associated with concluding the agreement.

Selectman Baston also wants on hand a copy of the property sales sheet for the town to add to the discussion of the revaluation.

If everything on the warrant passes, the taxes will go up approximately .66 to 1 mil.

Computer Backup

Clerk Arsenault asked the Selectmen if the Town could buy a service to back up the computer files in the cloud. The Selectmen agreed and Selectman Spinney will follow up with any purchase and installation.

Public Comment:

Mr. Trask wanted the selectmen to know that the hydrants on the Dock Rd, Rabbit Path and Cross Rd were not properly plowed or shoveled. Roger Whitney added the hydrant near Pinkham Pond was not sufficiently cleared either. Selectman Abbott will call Hagar. Beth Whitney asked that he have the plow truck move the snow at the fire station so that people can see more clearly when they come and go for both the election and the town meeting.